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Saturday, June 4, 2011

A Proper Gin and Tonic for A Plus One Birthday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was not a particularly fearful child, but I clearly remember worrying that I would never grow tall enough or old enough to enjoy the wonders of the big kid world. I just couldn't fathom how it all happened, much less judge the length of time it took to get from there to here. The days of the very young are long and the passage of a year can seem a fearsomely long time. It helped to segment the time between birthdays and for that reason the "....and- a- half year" tally was born. The day following your 5th birthday, you became five-and-a-half years old, and only heaven could protect those questioning that math from swift and certain retribution. If you wanted to run with the big kids you needed the "and-a-half year" advantage. I can't remember when that was put aside, but I know it was decades before I again felt the need to play with my age. I guess the sheer number of years started to weigh on me and for a period of time I used hexadecimal equivalents to mark my birthdays. Using my handy dandy conversion tables I became 32 on my 50th birthday. I thought it was hilarious, others, like the folks at customs and immigration, as dour a bunch as ever could be found, failed to see the humor in it. Once I retired and left IT, another scheme seemed in order and I developed my "plus one" tally for birthdays. That means only birthdays ending in zero are identified. All others become "plus ones". I was 70 years old last year. This year I am a "plus one" and will remain so until, God willing I reach my 80th birthday.

I won't be cooking today and the Silver Fox is in charge of all provisions. He has promised there will be proper gin and tonics for toasts to mark the day. I know the drink has fallen from grace in recent years, but when made with good gin and one of the better tonic waters, it is a delightful summer sipper. The Dutch and the British share credit for the drink. The Dutch invented the gin that makes it possible, but the British and their formula for carbonating water perfected it. The drink has an interesting past. It was first used in the tropics to counteract the bitter taste of the quinine powder needed to treat malaria. A bit of sugar was mixed with the powder and dissolved in a glass of carbonated water to make it more palpable. The gin came later, but it is what's credited with making the drink enjoyable. That it probably destroyed the livers of the British Foreign Service is a story for another day. We have been promised lovely weather for the weekend. I plan to enjoy it and I hope you will too. Here's the formula for a perfect gin and tonic. Cheers!

93 comments
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Happy Birthday to you, hope you have a delightful relaxing time. That mint looks so refreshing it was hot as hades today and we had a yard sale, mine is on the 5th and I am a plus one this year myself, last year I was 60.

Happy birthday, Mary! I guess I'm "plus 1", too, since had my 60th birthday in December 2009. I like that system! I'll think of you when I have my gin and tonic in a few minutes. I enjoyed your interesting history about the drink.

What a wonderful way to celebrate... my mom loved gin and tonic with lime.... I hope this year will be the best ever and every one after that better than the next.. blogging is therapy, its a gift you give us all, thank you for that.. may your night be filled with love and joy Happy Birthday!

I very happy birthday to you! My magic birthday was at age nine. I figured by that time, my feet would touch the floor when I sat in a chair, a pew or on a bus. How ever often you celebrate, it should be a long and happy celebration. I shall be back, for sure, to wish you a happy 80th!

Happy Birthday, Mary! May you have a healthy, nice and long history of "+1", enjoy your grandchildren and definitely continue to give the rest of us your wonderful recipes! I'd like to toast for you with a gin and tonic just like the one you photographed...

I have an entirely different method, Mary. I just don't keep track of my age. Seriously, when people dare ask me how old I am, I stop and try to remember how old my son is. I was 20 when he was born and I go from there. (I'm also terrible with math:) There's a story behind my method but it just would fill up too much space. If you want to know the story, email me at acalenda [at] gmail.

Enjoy that Gin and Tonic. In the 70's Gin and Tonic was my choice drink on summer evenings. A custom I may just need to revive.

Happy birthday, Mary!!! I hope you will be going out somewhere nice to eat, or maybe the Silver Fox will be cooking. I'd love to see your birthday meal. An very amusing and lovely birthday post!! You are charming as ever!

happy birthday...aah gin and tonic, never had this one, my favorites are mojito, sex on the beach, pina colada and screwdriver...but you make it sound gin & tonic to be very simple to make...maybe ill try it out next time when im pubbing..and then if i like the taste..ill try to make it at home!!!

Mary...HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you ! Hahaha I like the + 1 every year :) I am happy to know you and I love every one of your recipes :) Yea, I pray for you too that you get to +1 till 90 so that I will have a continuous list of recipes to delight in :)

Happy birthday to you! I had my very first gin & tonic this past January and I think it was wonderful! I had 2 more on the plane ride home , they helped me cope with my fear during extreme turbulence and if I ever fly again gin & tonics will be a must.

It is such a refreshing drink, now that we are finally getting some summer temps I think it is the perfect drink for summer evenings on the porch with my husband.

Happy Birthday! I love your plus one philosophy and giggled reading about 'and a half' because you're absolutely right. I can remember proudly touting the 'half' part of my age as well and then as suddenly as I thought I came up with that phrase I dropped it in favor of just being a 'twenty-something' -- much easier than saying, ok nearly 30.

Happy birthday Mary! I hope you have a great birthday. I'm pleased to tell you that the G & T is alive and very well in the UK. I prefer to substitute the gin for vodka making my favorite summer drink.

I'm a wine kind of girl, but when I do drink a cocktail, gin and tonics are one of my favorites! It's been quite a while since I've had one though. Perhaps I'll have to fix that this weekend. Hope yours is wonderful. Happy Birthday.

I used to enjoy a cold gin and tonic, but for reasons I cannot recall, gravitated to vodka and tonic; perhaps it was the cheap gin I was served. :) Happy Birthday, Mary, and we'll toast to your next many plus ones. Hope you enjoy this wonderful weekend. I'm headed out to the garden.

Somebody must have forgotten to tell me that this wonderful drink has fallen from grace in recent years, because it is a year round favourite! Oops that I am so out of fashion, but everybody else's loss for not savoring this most delicious of cocktails.

I agree though, it has to be the best gin one can afford (preferably 10 or Bombay Sapphire), and also the best tonic water - for me this is Schweppes.

The epitome of style!

And I love your idea for birthday counting. It is all such an arbitrary thing anyway. We should count experiences, and what one actually packs into a year, rather than the number of days.

Cheers to you, dear Mary!! Happy, Happy + One Birthday! You are an amazing person who I have so enjoyed *meeting* in this blog world. I am sure the Silver Fox will do us proud in helping you to celebrate! blessings and best wishes for a perfect +1 year! tanna

Happy Birthday! I am still 18, out of deference to an aunt. Until she turns 29 I can't turn 19! (with thanks to Saki for that one!

I have been attending Juniper Society, a monthly gin tasting group - so much more variety and finesse than I would have imagined! You should try a G&T with a slice of crisp green apple in it, instead of lime, for a change. Magic!

Oh, Happy Belated Birthday to you...Mary! ((hugs)) Wishing you all the best and may many more happy returns. I'm looking forward to your 80th birthday. I'm a gemini too and so is my daughter! Mine has another 2 weeks to go & my girl is 1 week after mine. :o) Hope you're having a fabulous time with your family.Blessings,Kristy ((hugs)) & kissesp/s I'm on vacation!

I'm late to the birthday party . . . I'm sure you made it a good one with a proper gin and tonic. (A perfect Manhattan will be mine.) Thank you for stopping by my blog and for your thoughtful comments. Much appreciated!

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